When recovery becomes complicated, somebody needs to hold the whole picture
Recovery Concierge is a personalised recovery and life management service for individuals and families navigating addiction, mental health challenges, treatment transitions and complex life circumstances.
It is available in South Africa and internationally.
The thinking behind it
Lasting recovery requires more than symptom reduction or abstinence. Sustainable change is achieved through coordinated care that addresses psychological wellbeing, physical health, recovery, identity, family systems, lifestyle, meaning and future planning.
Treatment is often fragmented. A person may have a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a counsellor, a rehabilitation centre, a recovery coach, family members and other professionals involved. Each may be doing valuable work. But there is not always anybody coordinating the whole process.
So the family becomes the coordinator, usually while frightened, exhausted and least equipped to do it. Decisions get made in crisis. Information sits in different places. Nobody is looking at the whole picture, or at what happens after treatment ends.
Recovery Concierge fills that gap.
The client journey
Step 1 · Comprehensive Assessment
Every engagement begins with a full assessment, conducted over approximately seven hours across several sessions.
- A structured intake and full history — with you, and separately with your family
- Understanding the whole picture — what has been tried, what happened, who is already involved, and what is working
- Understanding what is urgent — what is at stake, for the individual and for the family, and what has to happen first
- A family conversation — because the family is usually carrying more than anyone has asked them about
- A review of daily life — routine, work, relationships, health and support
- Goal setting — what a good outcome would actually look like, in your words
Nikki compiles all of it into a written report with a clear recommendation. You receive that report and a feedback session to talk it through, before any decision is made about what happens next.
The assessment is charged separately and precedes any decision about ongoing support. There is no obligation to continue beyond it.
Step 2 · Recovery and Life Management Strategy
Nikki’s network has been built since 2010 inside South African recovery, and it is the reason this step works. Everyone brought in is hand-selected for the individual, based on their situation, the severity of it and what they actually need.
- The right facility — matched to the person rather than to a list. Sometimes a primary care rehab, sometimes a secondary or step-down facility, sometimes not a facility at all.
- The right professionals — psychiatrists, psychologists and other practitioners, hand-selected from people Nikki knows and has worked alongside
- A recovery coach
- Medical support
- Nutrition and physical wellness
Nikki does not replace any of these people. She chooses them, briefs them, and makes sure they are working towards the same thing.
On facilities, plainly. Nikki has an interest in a secondary care facility in Cape Town. It suits some people and it is genuinely not right for many others, and she will say so. “I have relationships with many facilities and I am a good matchmaker. I will match you with whatever gives you the best chance, whether that is my facility or somebody else’s.”
Step 3 · Life Concierge
This is the part almost nobody else does, and it is where the service earns its name.
Weekly coordination with everybody involved, so the family stops being the switchboard:
- Family
- The treatment facility
- Doctors
- Psychologists
- Coaches
- The employer, where appropriate
- Attorneys and accountants, where relevant
Everybody hears the same thing, at the same time, from one person who knows the whole situation.
Step 4 · Life Reintegration
Coming home is where recovery is tested, and it is where most plans quietly run out.
Reintegration means rebuilding an actual life, not simply staying well. That includes:
- Accommodation
- Employment
- Relationships
- Exercise and physical health
- Finances
- Community
- Recovery groups
- Purpose
- Spiritual development
A person who leaves treatment with nowhere to live, no work and no community is not set up to succeed, however good the treatment was. This step is where a recovery becomes a life.
Step 5 · Long-Term Success
Recovery does not end when the crisis does.
- Quarterly reviews
- Relapse prevention
- Family coaching
- Annual life planning
Three levels of support
After the assessment, we recommend the level of involvement that fits. Each level includes everything in the level before it.
Basic
- A weekly meeting with the client
- A monthly meeting with the family
- Treatment coordination
- A monthly written report
Signature
*Everything in Basic, plus*
- Weekly family communication
- Liaison with every professional involved
- Crisis management
- Goal tracking
- A monthly written report
Executive
*Everything in Basic, plus*
- Unlimited coordination
- Travel planning
- Placement
- Family meetings
- Coordination with executive coaching
- Full life management
- Availability outside ordinary hours
Executive is designed for people whose circumstances, responsibilities or visibility make an ordinary arrangement impossible. It is a significant commitment on both sides, and it is priced accordingly.
What it is not
Recovery Concierge is not a treatment programme, a rehabilitation centre or a medical service. Nikki does not replace a psychiatrist, psychologist or treating practitioner. She chooses them, coordinates them, and manages the process around them.
Where this can lead
Some people who come through this process eventually want to do it for somebody else. Nikki’s own route began exactly that way.
Our counsellor training is a QCTO-accredited pathway into professional practice, and we are working towards a certified network of practitioners trained in this methodology.
If that is where you eventually find yourself, tell us. It is not an unusual ending to this story.
Enquire Now
This service begins with a conversation about your situation. Send us a message and we will come back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Recovery Concierge start?
With a comprehensive assessment, conducted over approximately seven hours. You receive a written report and a recommendation before deciding whether to continue.
What are the three levels?
Basic, Signature and Executive. Each includes everything in the level before it, with increasing involvement, coordination and access.
What does it cost?
The assessment is charged separately and ongoing support is quoted after it. Send us a message and we will explain the structure before you commit to anything.
Is it available outside South Africa?
Yes. We work with clients and families internationally, and coordinate with facilities and practitioners abroad where that is the right option.
Can you help if the person does not want help?
Often, yes. Much of the early work is with the family, on how to approach somebody who is not ready.
Do you work alongside our existing psychiatrist or therapist?
Yes. That is the point of the service. Nikki coordinates the professionals already involved rather than replacing them.
What happens after treatment ends?
That is step four, and it is the part most plans leave out. Accommodation, employment, relationships, finances, community and purpose.
Is this confidential?
Yes, within the limits of South African law and professional practice. We agree what is shared, and with whom, before anything is discussed with a third party.